21 Weeks!

How far along? 21 weeks, three days!
 
Total weight gain/loss: Hanging out around 111.5 this week, which puts me at a half pound more since last. That makes my grand total so far +4.5 pounds.
 
Maternity clothes? Nada. The BellaBand remains my BFF, and I actually bought two more in two other colors because I love them so. They were on mega-super-clearance and around 75% off, so how could I resist getting them in two other colors? I'm wondering how long through my pregnancy they'll last me...
 
Stretch marks? Zilch! I even inspected for them the other day, because I seem to have hit a bit of a belly growth spurt this week! But I remain stretch-mark-free at this point.

Symptoms:  None! Unless you count feeling baby move and a growing tummy as "symptoms" :) And I suppose there are those eight bathroom breaks I have to take between lunchtime and supper. It feels like I'm peeing every 30 minutes lately!

Sleep: Fine and well still! Although in the middle of the night, I sometimes wake up and feel like I have a stiff back from laying on my side and it takes awhile to get comfy again.

Best moment this week: Nothing too exciting happened this week, but at the risk of sounding like a broken record, feeling baby kick and move is always exciting! We started noticing that she does kicks that almost feel like she's kicking with one foot and then the other. Pretty fun :)

And in other, unrelated, news: how could I not mention that I had TWO days this week that school was called two hours late for? Those were two pretty great moments. Mama and baby loved getting a few extra hours of sleep this week :)

Miss Anything? Nothing! Too happy to miss anything. Well, except maybe I miss not hanging out in the bathroom to pee twenty times a day.
 
Movement: Yes, and lots of it! I mentioned earlier about the "one-two" kicks we're feeling now, and the kicks are getting really strong, too. Today and yesterday I haven't felt her as much, which always makes me nervous -- but they say that's expected up until about 28 weeks. It's not until then that one should count on feeling baby move every day and consistently. Plus, her heart rate is totally normal (thanks, trusty at-home fetal doppler!) so I don't have anything to worry about. (Speaking of her heart rate being normal, an update from last week: if you remember correctly, I was concerned about her heart skipping beats. This week, her little heart skips beats no more! Who knew my OBs were so smart and were exactly right when they told me it would fix itself? Silly me.)
 
Food cravings: Still none! Though I do find myself loving the occasional donut still. Lucky for me, one of my students celebrated their birthday this week and brought in donuts for the whole class (and the teacher, of course). Delish!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Snicker's Peanut Butter Squares, canned pineapple and Papa Murphy's pepperoni pizza all make me a little uneasy still.
 
Have you started to show yet:  Definitely more and more each day it seems! I couldn't believe what baby mama's tummy looked like today in my gym clothes at the Y!

Belly Button in or out? Still in!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Our next OB appointment in two weeks from next Tuesday when we'll get to see baby girl again!

I've also been bitten by the nursery bug... so I went online and found loads of inspiration pictures and I've been looking forward to getting her little room all ready for her :)

So that's the haps this week -- and here's the belly to go along with:

(Oh, and sidenote: this week's size comparison is apparently a carrot. A carrot? The other option was a pomegranate (more for weight's sake than length), which I found to not give as much credit for baby girl's true length, which is why I opted for the carrot. Anyway, keep in mind this is the long garden carrot we're talking -- she's around 10 and a half inches -- wowza!)

 

Baby Bag: The Ultimate Dilemma

As mentioned in a previous posting, I've officially embarked on the journey to find the perfect diaper bag. I wanted something that's not too obviously a diaper bag, but something that won't become destroyed if we have a leaky bottle (or worse). I also wanted to steer clear of anything too pricey (as much as I'd love a Coach diaper bag, does it make sense to put poopy diapers in a $300+ bag? Doubtful). After perusing the internet, I decided on two diaper bags made by the same company. The reviews on the one were good, and the other is a new style, so therefore had no reviews.

Now my only problem? Deciding which one to keep! Here's a run-down...

First up is the "Mila". The idea with the Mila is that she's a complete "carry-all", meaning it's got loads of compartments to keep both mommy and baby things organized, so you don't have to haul around both a diaper bag and a purse.

She's a black and white chevron print with two magnetic pockets on the front with gold buttons. It also has a black fold-over flap on top.

The Mila has three zip pockets -- one very wide (main) pocket in the middle, and two other pockets on the front and back of the bag. Each have a few mesh pockets inside. The bag also came with a case for wipes.

In between the front and main/middle zippered pockets is another compartment that is held together by a magnetic "snap". Located in here are more pockets still, along with a nifty leather strap that has a hook on it to keep your keys (or whatever else, I suppose) handy and not lost in an endless abyss. Excellent idea, I must say, as I lose my keys in my purse the way it is, and my current purse is definitely a quarter of the size of this bag!

Next is the middle zippered pocket. This compartment held a whole treasure box full of goodies when the bag first arrived! I'll get to those in a minute.

You can see this main pocket is very roomy. Zippered interior pockets and elastic pockets line each  side. In the middle, there are a few extra straps. One is used for converting the Mila into a cross-body bag, and the other, shorter pair, are used to let your diaper bag hang from your stroller so you don't have to carry it while going on a walk or while shopping. There is also a small zippered red pouch that actually isn't a pouch at all -- it actually unzips into a reusable shopping tote! Pretty clever.

As I mentioned, a bunch of goodies came in the middle pocket when it arrived. Here's what was inside:

From the top left, we have a red, cushy changing mat that folds and Velcros up for nice storage inside the diaper bag; next to it is another little bag with a Velcro closure; on bottom is another larger bag that has elastic draw strings to tighten it up.

So that's exhibit A, the Mila. Loads of pockets and storage, a cute exterior print (I'm a sucker for chevron!), and doesn't really look like a diaper bag.

What I don't like? Well, she's kind of heavy -- and that's without anything inside. And the exterior is a canvas-type material, so I can't imagine it's going to repel stains very well -- and if I'm realistic, babies + no stains = dream on.

Anyway, onto exhibit B: the Kayla Satchel Bag. She's a dark orange and white geometric print on a more plasticy-coated exterior (better for wiping off spills and preventing stains!). She has less compartments and fewer "extras" than the Mila, but still has lots of room inside. Like the Mila, Kayla has a magnetic-clasped front pocket.

The bag has two magnetic-closure pockets on the front and back of the bag, along with a zippered main, middle pocket. My favorite part about the Kayla? The pretty purple interior! I love how it looks with the deep orange... so cute!

The magnetic-closure pockets don't have any pockets, zippered or elastic, inside of them for organization. In the middle, however, each side is, again, lined with elastic and zippered pockets. As with the Mila, the bag comes with a case for diaper wipes, a matching padded purple changing pad, a cross-body strap and a pair of straps for hooking to your stroller.

So, what do I like about the Kayla? Well, as mentioned, I love that purple interior, and I like the bright color and happy pattern on the bag. Another thing I'm a big fan of is the wipe-able exterior. And though it doesn't have as much for storage, it feels slightly less overwhelming than the Mila, which almost seemed to have too much space inside. But I've never been a mommy before, so maybe that much space is good?

Anyway, I need help! I obviously don't need two, and I'm having a hard time deciding. So if you have thoughts, share them! Which one do you like better? Or maybe you like neither! Do tell.

I do have one other question: has anyone ever used just a regular tote (not designated as a diaper bag originally) that you've used as a diaper bag? How has that worked for you? There are some super cute Fossil tote bags at Herberger's right now that I've been very tempted to utilize as my diaper bag, but the inside is definitely not waterproof, and there's not much in the way of compartments. Here's the one I've been eyeing...

 

Decisions, decisions.

Help!

Halfway Home!

How far along? 20 weeks, five days! (I'm a little behind this week on posting! So I'm actually almost 21 -- so this is more of a week 20 review :)) -- That's HALFWAY, my friends!
 
Total weight gain/loss: Holding strong, my friends. This week I'm at a solid 111, which means I'm up four pounds... I'm pleased, my OB is pleased, and I'm sure our little lady is pleased too :)
 
Maternity clothes? Still none! Just relying on my BellaBand still.

Stretch marks? Nada. Still using my mommy lotion on my (expanding) tummy!

Symptoms:  Last week I mentioned having a sore lower back, but I've decided that was unrelated to the pregnancy; instead, I think it's a side-effect of trying to sleep on my side more at night. So since that's out, I still remain entirely symptom-free! Well, not entirely. I do make a large amount of potty breaks during the day and have headaches here and there. I think I'm getting that "pregnancy glow" everyone talks about, but I don't really know exactly what it is. If it means you get a flushed face easily and almost look like you have a tan every so often, then I think I've got it! And I don't shed much hair anymore, either -- another welcome side effect of being in the second trimester :)

Sleep: Just dandy. As mentioned previously, just trying to sleep on my side more.

Best moment this week: This week was an interesting one with some ups and downs. Because we had quite a journey to get us here, I've been neurotic psycho crazy insane a little nervous here and there. For this reason, we bought an at-home fetal heart monitor on Amazon for about $20 around 11 or 12 weeks to help ease my nerves about whether or not our little one was still in there, safe and sound. It has been an amazing investment for us me. It's enabled me to check in on her at home at the end of the day or after teaching a yoga class and has been so great.

On Monday evening, however, I noticed that baby girl's heart was skipping beats, adding beats, and doing this whole insane-o heartbeat thing. I didn't think too much of it and decided to go to bed and check her again in the morning before heading to school. When I checked in the following morning, it was still a little funny. After much internal debate (I didn't want to be scolded for having an at-home monitor like a crazy lady!... which, let's face it: I am), I decided it would be best to call my doctor, just to be safe. My normal OB was out of town early in the week, so I was squeezed into another OB's schedule. We listened to her, heard what I'd been hearing, and he shared that this is a completely normal sounding fetal heartbeat in the second trimester. Apparently babies often have missed and added beats here and there prior to being born, most people just don't hear it because they're not crazy and have an at-home doppler like me. Plus, he explained that our 19-week ultrasound that looked at her heart and its' valves looked beautiful -- so there's no heart defect or anything funny going on here. Just her little body learning about how to regulate itself without mama.

So obviously, learning that was a pretty great moment.

We also had a regular OB check-up on Thursday this week and got to see baby girl again. She's getting ginormous on the ultrasounds now!  She looks so great... we just love seeing her wiggle around in there.

A big accomplishment was also made this week: we have a daycare! She seems fabulous and like she'll take care of our little lady very well, so we're happy to be settled about that.

And one more: we got to see her kick from the outside this week! We really have to watch, but we've seen it maybe four times... she's pretty awesome.

Have you told family and friends: Yes!  Even strangers who didn't know previously can tell now! (Which, if I'm completely honest, is only happening right now when I'm at the Y in a fitted exercise top... but still! It's so fun!)

Miss Anything? Nothing :) Except that whole clothes-buying thing... I want a pair of coral skinny jeans for spring in the worst way, and I'm just not sure my trusty sidekick, BellaBand, is up for the task of keeping those cute jeans up throughout my third trimester -- and I'm just not sure I want to spend a lot of money on a GapMaternity pair. Ah, the dilemmas.
 
Movement: Definitely! Stronger this week -- so strong, it takes me by surprise! Andy's been feeling her more and more (he swears she kicked so my tummy rose an inch one night ;) I think daddy might be exaggerating just a teeny bit, but he's a proud papa!), and she's even been kicking during the Yoga/Pilates class I teach. It's kind of dumb, but I always love "taking" her places. I think of them as "mommy and me" adventures... and Yoga/Pilates class is one of my favorite 'adventures' to take her on. Imagine how much fun we'll have together when she's actually here!
 
Food cravings: Nada.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Snicker's Peanut Butter Squares, which I was semi-in-love-with prior to becoming pregnant.
 
Have you started to show yet: Yes! I think more-so in the later days of this week, though -- so you might not be able to tell as much in this week's pictures.

Gender prediction: It's a girl!

Belly Button in or out? The abyss is definitely getting shallower... but our prediction is that it will end up laying flat on my tummy in the end, not be "out". We'll see...

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Already looking forward to our next OB appointment in about three weeks and the next "big" ultrasound at 30 weeks to check her growth. They found that I have a "marginal cord" insertion last week (remember when I said this week was full of ups-and-downs? Yeah, this is another example. My umbilical cord connects to the placenta off to the side of the placenta rather than right in the middle, but is still completely connected to the placenta; there's variation of this called a valementous cord insertion, which can lead to much scarier things. Thank God He's given me the non-scary one!), which completely freaked me out for a few days (neurotic, remember?). However, it's no big deal; I've visited with three OBs about it now (again, neurotic, remember?) and all say she'll be completely fine. The only concern we might have later is whether or not she's getting all the food she needs. So we get to do more ultrasounds to make sure she's growing in the third trimester (which I love!), and if she's not, she'll just make her arrival a little early :) The two OBs I saw this week both said they've had hundreds of patients with off-centered umbilical cords, and all have gone on to have un-complicated pregnancies with healthy, happy little ones. I also was lucky enough to work with someone who also had a marginal cord insertion, and her doctor didn't think anything of it either. She went on to have a perfectly normal pregnancy (with a few extra peeks at her baby via ultrasound, too :)) and delivered a very healthy-weight little one (sidenote: if anyone has had this experience as well, let me know!). Anyway, I'm looking forward to that next ultrasound at 30-weeks. Who doesn't love seeing their baby?

This is totally lame and nerdy, but we're also looking forward to our first opportunity to RSVP "three" for an upcoming wedding. We got their Save The Date in the mail today, and Andy's first comment was, "I want to fill it out and write three!" -- he was bummed when I explained that this wasn't the RSVP just yet... :) 

And is it too early to say I'm looking forward to meeting her? Well, I am. Not that I want this pregnancy to be over -- I'm loving every moment! But if I could have both at once, I think I'd be the happiest lady alive right  now.

Here's the halfway pictures... just imagine how much the NEXT twenty weeks will change this belly and this little baby!

19 Weeks!

How far along? 19 weeks and three days!
 
Total weight gain/loss: I seem to still be fluctuating a little bit. When I checked on Tuesday at the Y, I was two pounds LESS than last week (at which point I had gained three pounds total)... which prompted a slight freak out on my part. Regardless, I seemed to have bounced back nicely, because today I seem to have gained back those two pounds and then some! So as of today, I'm almost four pounds up from where I started.
 
Maternity clothes? Not wearing any maternity clothes yet, but I finally caved on Sunday and bought a BellaBand. This came as the result of working up a sweat as I tried to button my pants on Sunday morning before mass. After I won the battle with my pants and successfully had them buttoned, I realized I looked less than appealing with a pretty glorious 360 degree muffin top around my middle. But, I needed to wear pants, so what's a pregnant girl to do? Well, I'll tell you what this pregnant girl did. Unbuttoned her pants and spent much of mass praying that my pants didn't come entirely unzipped and fall down at some point. It was at that point that I knew it was maybe time for one of those nifty BellaBands -- so in our cart at Target it went. And I haven't looked back since! Nor have I spent one day with my pants buttoned after the fact. Oh BellaBand, how I love you.

Anyway, with this nifty pregnancy purchase as my sidekick, I'm not sure when I'll be delving into those maternity clothes. 

Stretch marks? None yet! Still using lotion, though.

Symptoms:  I think my symptom-free days are over. Back pain reared its' ugly head this week. However, I am thinking the back pain showed up as the result of me Hunchback of Notre Dameing over a puzzle all weekend at my parents' house. Regardless, it's required a hot pack on my low back almost every day since then. It seems to be the worst when I stand up from a seated position, at which point I turn into the Hunchback of Notre Dame again (sans puzzle, this time) until the pain has slightly dulled and I can walk upright again.

Regardless, all's well :) I'd gladly have low back pain for the rest of my life in exchange for this little lady.


Sleep:  Super! Just can't seem to get enough of it lately, as I've been battling a cold all week. Trying to sleep on my sides more, thinking that maybe laying on my back is aggravating my low-back pain. And sleeping on my tummy is starting to feel strange... kind of like I'm sleeping on a balloon.

Best moment this week: How do I choose just one?! We had our BIG ultrasound this week and got to see baby girl in 4-D! Yes, my friends... 4-D! Which means we got to see her moving in 3-D. It was completely amazing, and she was a complete wiggler. The ultrasound tech had a tough time getting all of baby girl's measurements and important pictures because she was just a mover! We giggled the whole time :) She was beautiful! And e-mailing the photos to our families was ridiculously fun for me, too. The replies I got made my heart soar, too. It doesn't take much to make a mommy feel proud :) I promise to post pictures this week sometime.

Secondly, the hubs finally got to feel baby girl's kicks last night :) It was ridiculously fun. When she kicked, we both shrieked! This was the first time I could feel it from the "inside" and he could feel it from the outside. We are so in love!

And, strangely enough, calling daycares was also a highlight of my week. Making plans for her, thinking about picking her up after work, makes her seem so real.  I definitely called at least 25 places searching for a place for her, which was a pain... but daydreaming about her being here was just incredible.

Have you told family and friends: Yes! 

Miss Anything? Nothing :) Too happy and excited to miss anything.
 
Movement: Yes! She is a mover! I love feeling her at school while I'm teaching. It's such a great little secret that nobody but me knows about -- just between  me and her. Have I mentioned how in love we are?
 
Food cravings: Nothing to speak of -- still indecisive, but I think that's getting better.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Papa Murphy's and I may have reconciled this week. I had the chicken bacon ranch pizza last Friday night for the second time, and I think I could probably eat that every day, for every meal, for the rest of my pregnancy. So they may be winning me over again. Maybe.
 
Have you started to show yet: Yes! Today she was really popped out there. I am absolutely loving this baby bump, as you could guess -- I've waited for it for awhile now and I couldn't be more excited that it's finally showing! Is that weird?

Gender prediction: Not a prediction; we know! Baby girl.

Belly Button in or out? The husband says it's looking more shallow, and, dare I say it... I think it might be! Weird truth: I always wanted one of those "tight" belly buttons, like a swimsuit model has you know? And now I'm finally getting one... with a large belly :) Best of both worlds, right?

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: I never can choose just one so here's a few...

Getting "official word" from the radiologist that everything looked healthy and dandy on baby girl at this week's ultrasound. I'm sure it's all fine from what we saw, but I just like things to be OFFICIAL, ya know?

Interviewing more daycares next week. Weird, yes, but especially one of them seems so sweet -- so I want to reserve our spot already! I probably shouldn't assume she's fabulous before meeting her, I suppose, but whatever.

Also looking forward to a few things coming in the mail... namely: a diaper bag (I'll need help deciding which one of two that I ordered to keep, so stay tuned!) and GapBaby skinny jeans for baby girl... eek!

And without further adieu: nineteen week pictures! 

 

18 Weeks!

How far along? 18 weeks and three days!
 
Total weight gain/loss: Well, I think the one pound a week might be true... I've held strong and steady at a gain of three pounds now -- and it's been two weeks since my last doctor appointment where they told me I'd gained one. So, one pound for each week since then puts me at the total I'm at now: three pounds! I'm happy with this. I was getting worried about the lack of weight gain, especially considering I had literally NO morning sickness (unless you count the two or three times I texted the hubs, my mom and sister telling them I felt nauseous after taking a drink of water or catching a whiff of pineapple from my students' snack early on). And my eating habits really haven't changed much, because I haven't hit that HUNGRY stage of pregnancy yet apparently... and yet somehow I magically gained a couple of pounds! Hopefully it continues to happen this way.

Maternity clothes? Still none! I did go on a maternity buying binge a few days this week online, but it's all free return shipping, so that's why I got a little crazy :)

Stretch marks? Zilch! Using lotion on my tummy, but not really as a preventative measure... more so because it makes my skin so darn soft! Who knew mommy lotions were so moisturizing? 

Symptoms:  Nope. Not a one! Like I said, still waiting for that hungry all the time thing to kick in... I thought it had over the weekend while we drove to Iowa to visit family for (yes!) another Christmas. I was insanely ravenous on the way down (which ended up including a stop at the sketchiest, tiniest Wal-Mart I've literally ever been to that had NO bananas, or any fresh fruit for that matter! But I did get a box of peanut butter chocolate granola bars, so I can't complain too much) and during lunch, but it seems to have dissipated by evening.

Sleep:  Just dandy. Except for being woken up due to headaches and potty breaks once a night lately.

Best moment this week: Going with my mom to JoAnn's to pick out a couple of fabrics for baby girl's quilt. My mama, sister and I have always combined forces to create some darn cute baby quilts in the past for my nieces and nephews. And now it's my turn! I've decided on the cutest blanket of all time that will utilize the cutest fabrics of all time (nothing less for the up and coming cutest BABY of all time!)

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't incredibly dramatic concerned in the past that I'd never get the chance to pick out fabrics for my own baby's blanket one day. The past two years have included many moments of panic and sleepless nights with tears that came from thinking we'd never get to have a little one of our own. Obviously there are other routes to creating a family aside from having your own biological child, but I never came to a point where I felt okay with that. Anyway, for this reason, picking out these fabrics was incredibly special to me. I have spent plenty of time dreaming of baby girl wrapped up in my arms in this special blanket, or it being draped over her crib in her nursery.

Of course, a close second would be buying her Halloween costume this week. Yes, I definitely just said that I bought her a Halloween costume. But I couldn't resist for a mere $3.50! She will be a cozy, cute, cuddly cupcake come autumn. 

Have you told family and friends: Yes! Even some people in town know now and talk to me about it in the grocery store. I am always caught off guard and wonder if they're telling me "Congratulations!" about something else instead, so I get all cryptic for a little while before I realize that they are, indeed, referring to my little one. I also slightly wonder if they can somehow SEE my belly and decipher that it's not that I'm eating too many cookies, but rather that I'm having a baby. Doubtful, but one can dream, right?

Miss Anything? As mentioned previously, hubby and I went to Iowa over the weekend to celebrate another Christmas with family. We stayed over, and left early Sunday morning to hit up mass in a neighboring town and then proceeded through the Twin Cities and made a pit-stop at the Mall of America. And lucky us! They seem to have JUST unloaded tons of their new winter/spring lines because they had my size in EVERYTHING. And it was all SO cute. And while I normally would have walked out of the Gap and Banana Republic with my arms heaped full of clothes, my pocketbook (and my husband) breathed a sigh of relief upon my realization that my belly is almost already too big for normal, fitted shirts.

So what do I miss this week? Well, although I'm really not all that big just yet... I'm already missing shopping for normal clothes for my normal closet.

Movement: It's official: baby girl is a movin'! All this silly movement I think I've felt since 15 weeks has, indeed, been punches and kicks by my sweet little one -- but now it's strong enough that I can definitely tell! Hubby is still hoping to feel her, but no dice just yet.

Food cravings: Nada. I'm loving fruit, but that's always true about me. Peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwiches are a love of mine lately too, but again, I've always liked those. Another ongoing love: macaroni and cheese! And lucky me, the hubs is letting me make that for supper tonight... woohoo!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just the pizza thing I mentioned last week -- specifically Papa Murphy's (poor Papa Murph's...). Although once I'm eating pizza, I don't mind it. It's just the idea of it.
 
Have you started to show yet: I think I've finally popped out and won't go back in now -- exciting!! The one disappointing part is that from mama-view, my belly looks GINORMOUS! And then when I look from standard-civilian-view (read: side-view), it's really not all that large. Regardless, I'm loving it, my husband's loving it, and my mom always says it's a cute little baby bump, which always makes me smile inside :)

Gender prediction: Baby girl! I still need to share that piece of our story on here, along with a few others...

Belly Button in or out? The never-ending-pit that is my belly button appears to show no signs of shallowing out at this point.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Our ultrasound on Monday! It's our "official" ultrasound and includes some 3-D images as well, so we are SUPER excited! It will have been three weeks since we last saw baby girl at that point, which is the longest we've ever gone without being able to peek in at her and see her growing. Good thing Christmas and a hair appointment were in between for me to help pass the time with :)

And now for what you've been waiting for... the 18-week pictures! Be warned again: uncovered belly shot lies ahead...